Bicycle riding has become very popular for transportation, recreation and exercise. Like all vigorous physical activities, bicycle riding makes the participant thirsty, and he or she will often want to have a few swallows of a refreshing beverage. Accordingly, many riders will take a beverage with them on the bicycle, especially if they are going on a long ride. Often, the rider will prefer not to stop to take a drink. In that case it is desirable the the beverage bottle be readily accessible and convenient to open.
Bottles and bottle mounts made especially for bicycles are available commercially. One type, the cage mount, is usually a simple wire holder or basket which can be affixed to the bicycle and receive a beverage container. In some cases, the container fits fairly loosely in the cage and presents a possibility that the container can fall out, especially when the bicycle is accidentally tipped over. The user may not observe that the container has fallen out, and it might be lost. In other cases, the bottle fits tightly within the cage, and although it is not as likely to fall out, it is fairly hard to remove. All cage-type mounts are hard to use because the rider has to line up the bottle with the cage opening before the container can be inserted into the cage. The rider may be distracted from proper operation of the bicycle in the course of replacing the bottle in the cage and faces some risk of an accident due to the distraction.
Another type of commercially available bottle mount comprises a bracket having a tapered dovetail slot and a bottle having a complementary dovetail rib. This type of holder is even more difficult to use than the cage type, inasmuch as the bottle must be turned about its axis and positioned with the dovetails aligned before it can be slided lengthwise into position. The difficulty of repositioning the bottle after it is used is a serious disadvantage and constitutes somewhat of a hazard to the bicyclist. The dovetail mount does, however, have the advantage of being a relatively small and lightweight form of connection between the bottle and the bicycle, as compared to the somewhat large, heavier cages.